The Effects on the Structure of Society of the Growing Number of Women in the Work Force.

Cook, Alice H.

Women's participation in the workforce is increasing, spurred by inflation, the rising level of consumer aspirations, the increasing number of families headed by women as a consequence of divorce, and the declining birth rate. However, the work women do continues to be segregated from men's and comparatively poorly paid, while women still carry the burden of working for pay and working in the home. Men's and women's work lives differ sharply, yet norms for describing and judging women's work performance are derived from men's experience and based on the expectation of uninterrupted school-to-retirement work life. Policy makers have been slow to recognize and act on these inequities; women are still treated as though they have a choice (a choice essentially denied to men) of whether to work or stay home. Hence their problems are viewed as personal rather than societal. Society, au fond, still defines women's roles as those of wives and mothers. Suggested changes include a positive outreach to women as employable persons, introduction of a "dynamic vocational training program," maternity insurance, a parental infant care leave for both sexes (including time for care of sick children), provision of child care in subsidized programs, and elimination of sex role stereotyping everywhere. (CP)